


more things in heaven and earth

by lunarsoo



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Animal Death, Enemies to Lovers, Invasion of Privacy, Loosely inspired by Netflix Ragnarok, M/M, Mild Blood, Minor Violence, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Mythology - Freeform, References to Norse Religion & Lore, side!markhei
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:33:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27886051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarsoo/pseuds/lunarsoo
Summary: Jaehyun and Johnny had been fated to die by each other’s hands. They had been mortal enemies and that was the natural order of things. They could never have coexisted peacefully. That’s why they fought, many were slaughtered, and the world was destroyed, caved in on itself only to emerge again and bring with it another era.Then, eons later, in a small college town and under much different circumstances they meet again.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17
Collections: Coffee Dates Fest [1st Round]





	1. immortal

**Author's Note:**

> **Self-prompt #0050**
> 
> Phew! I can't believe I made it here (or almost).
> 
> As tagged, the inspiration for this came after I watched Netflix Ragnarok which is one of the coolest shows I've seen. I took a lot of inspiration from Norse mythology (like A LOT), but I still wanted to create my own lore so this isn't exactly a Norse Mythology AU (but it might as well be tbh).
> 
> It should be finished by now, but this year has been absolutely insane and shit happens, as we all know so the mods were kind enough to let me post the first three chapters which I'm so grateful for. Y'all are doing a wonderful job, seriously. Also, I have to thank my darling Bee and my bro Ryan for being so supportive and for beta-reading for me. Love you!
> 
> I hope you enjoy what I have so far and, please, look forward to the upcoming chapters. I've been having a lot of fun working on this story hehe.
> 
> Edit: here's a playlist you can listen to while reading on [spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Nt2dS7VUwpdPVi4Ti1GGS?si=BzA1EbQPQ7a4Q060KEBhXw)  
> 

**_Giant_ ** _(noun)_

_1.in folklore, huge mythical beings, usually humanlike in form. The term derives (through Latin) from the Giants (Gigantes) of Greek mythology, who were monstrous, savage creatures often depicted with men’s bodies terminating in serpentine legs._

_2\. the giants of Norse mythology were primeval beings existing before the gods and overcome by them._

There’s something bothering Jaehyun lately, but he can’t pinpoint exactly what it is.

Something in the atmosphere, in the air around him, has shifted. Jaehyun feels this strange energy everywhere he walks in the small college town he’s been calling home for the past year. It’s unsettling, disturbing him to the core. He’s tried to dismiss it as his being hypersensitive during the summer, but as autumn starts to settle in and the temperature goes down, the feeling is still there. It creeps into Jaehyun’s skin now, a sort of buzzing electricity beneath his flesh, running through his blood vessels, hot and fizzly and irritating.

Then one afternoon, it stops. 

Just like that.

It leaves him confused and somehow even more wary and uncomfortable than before. 

That morning, Jaehyun wakes up after eleven, like he does most days before classes start, has a quick breakfast, puts on some clothes and goes out for a jog in the woods behind his house. That irritating feeling is still there with him as he runs up the hill, following the beaten down path. He passes a couple of other people on his way to the top, but barely pays them any mind. On his way down, Jaehyun decides to take another route, through the trees. He knows the way well enough not to get lost and in half the time it took for him to go up, he’s back to town.

Deciding to go to a nearby shop for groceries, he walks down the street, greets some acquaintances on his way to the shop, enjoying the warmth of the midday sun. 

The usual hordes of students are not back yet, since there are still a few weeks left before classes start . There are only a few locals walking around, running errands or simply enjoying the last days of warm weather.

Jaehyun reaches his destination feeling increasingly more bothered by the odd aura surrounding him. By now, he’s come to the conclusion that it follows him wherever he goes. It’s _with_ him. 

He pushes open the door and the old-fashioned bell tinkles, imbuing a sense of familiarity in him that does nothing to settle his nerves. 

By the cash-register there’s a kid Jaehyun’s seen around campus last year. He nods in lieu of hello and the kid waves back more enthusiastically than Jaehyun expected. He forces a small smile in return before walking in the direction of the dairy aisle for some milk.

As Jaehyun turns a corner, a little distracted as he skims the nearby shelves to see what else he might need, the feeling stops. Just like that. No more buzzing, no more weird energy. It’s as if the air around him has finally settled. Jaehyun looks up and his eyes meet another pair of dark brown eyes fixed on him.

Jaehyun can’t look away. The invisible agitation is gone, replaced by an even stranger sense of familiarity, recognition. Jaehyun knows this person. This tall, broad-shouldered man, with auburn hair. But like Jaehyun, he isn’t what he appears to be. 

The seconds tick by slower than the concept of time would allow as the two men stand on opposite sides of the aisle. Jaehyun’s as still as he can be, his entire body tense. The other man would seem otherwise relaxed if it wasn’t for the tiny bit of tension in his jaw. 

The first move doesn’t come from Jaehyun. In any other situation he’d like to have the upper hand, but he lets the auburn-haired man decide for them both. And what he does, surprisingly, disappoints Jaehyun a little. The man turns around without hesitation and disappears behind a shelf of canned goods.

Jaehyun exhales, remembering to breathe. _Milk. I need milk,_ he says to himself, putting one foot in front of the other with more difficulty than he ever remembers having. He grabs way more milk than he needs and leaves the shop a few minutes later, mind swarming with thoughts and questions. The weight of that stare seems to follow him as he replays the unexpected encounter over and over in his mind.

The stranger’s face seemed familiar even though Jaehyun’s sure they’ve never met before. The gentle slope of his nose, the full lips with the prominent cupid’s bow and the way his auburn hair looked a little disheveled, a few strands falling over his dark brown eyes… He was a handsome one. Probably not much younger than Jaehyun’s human form is designed to be. 

But from all the features Jaehyun had now committed to memory, the one that unnerved him the most were the eyes. They were a dark brown with an unusual, almost otherworldly glint to them. And they looked ancient, as if they’d witnessed plenty.

Much like Jaehyun’s own eyes.

🗲

“Still thinking about _him?”_ Comes the inevitable question from Lucas’s mouth.

Jaehyun hums noncommittally, eyes never leaving his novel. Tonight, it’s Ulysses, by James Joyce, one of his personal favourites. He’s halfway through, now. Will probably be done with it in an hour or so. Then he’ll take Lucas out for dinner as he had promised. Steak. His favorite.

“Was that a yes or a no?” Lucas asks, perching himself on the arm of Jaehyun’s chair. The tall, slender boy drapes himself over the chair’s backrest and starts playing with a lock of Jaehyun’s hair. It would be distracting to a human but over the centuries Jaehyun mastered the art of staying focused whenever Lucas acts like his lapdog.

“Right now I’m only focused on my book,” Jaehyun replies.

“Aren’t you going to try to find him?” Lucas asks, leaning a bit more into Jaehyun’s personal space. 

“This is a small town. I’m bound to run into him again.”

“But aren’t you curious? ‘Cus I am. I mean, who do you think he is? One of the old ones? Do you think any of them survived?”

Jaehyun sighs, closing his book and placing it on his knee. He closes his eyes for a minute, pinching the bridge of his nose, if anything just to gain some time to answer at least one of Lucas’s questions. Usually, he doesn’t mind the younger’s curious nature and his hobby of sticking his nose in all of Jaehyun’s businesses, but tonight it’s proving hard to put up with it.

“I don’t know, Lucas. It’s been two days since I saw him, and I haven’t come to any conclusions yet. All I know is, he’s definitely one of _them,”_ is all Jaehyun is willing to say at this point. He sends Lucas a look that clearly states that, and the other finally decides to leave him alone so he can go back to his reading.

Later that night, in bed, Jaehyun feels agitated. His skin feels too tight for his body, he’s drenched in cold sweat and all of his senses are going haywire. Images of auburn hair and dark brown eyes flood his thoughts.

Still in bed, Jaehyun whistles, calling for Lucas. 

In seconds, the boy is there by Jaehyun’s bed; amber eyes glowing in the darkness of the bedroom. Jaehyun lets his eyes roam down Lucas’s naked body, not detaining his eyes anywhere specific.

“It’s one of those nights,” he tells Lucas in the Old Tongue, sitting up on the bed.

Lucas simply nods and waits until Jaehyun is finished shedding his clothes in solemn silence. He knows Jaehyun feels wound up right now, he can sense it. Patience isn’t one of Lucas’s virtues but he knows what Jaehyun needs and he’ll always do his best to tend to Jaehyun’s needs the best way he can.

Jaehyun goes first, opening the sliding glass doors to the balcony. He’s greeted with the scent of pinewood and petrichor filling his nostrils. The cold air hitting his skin feels soothing. Jaehyun’s temperature always runs high by nature of what he is: a child forged by the fire where it resides. Though, at times like this, when pretending to be human becomes too much and his body feels like a cell, he welcomes the cold.

Lucas is right behind him, and when Jaehyun looks down, he smiles, always awe-struck by Lucas's majestic wolf form. Jaehyun allows himself to crouch down for a moment, to run his fingers through the luscious black fur, letting Lucas nuzzle against him for a little while.

“It’s been a while since I saw you like this, my friend,” Jaehyun whispers in the language only Lucas and him understand.

Their moment is interrupted by the distant hoot of an owl, bringing Jaehyun back to reality and to how uncomfortable he feels. Lucas’s familiar presence did calm him a bit, but he knows he needs more than that if he wants to get some sleep tonight.

“Come, let us run free like in the olden days,” Jaehyun says, straightening up.

He starts to run, not caring about speed since there’s nobody here to see him. It’s difficult to tell when exactly his feet leave the ground and he’s no longer physically connected to the earth beneath, but he hears Lucas’s howl right behind him right before he lets go of his human vessel.

🗲

The moment Johnny stepped into town he felt a strange sense of familiarity, even though he’d never been there before.

The narrow, stone-paved streets and the charming little wooden constructions were all new to him, but there was something comforting in walking amongst them, with the tall hills surrounding it from all sides. 

He got there in the evening and the town was illuminated by the lamp lights and the mighty moon shining bright upon the wet pavement - it had rained early. It was quiet, barely a soul outside. Johnny spent the night at a hotel, deciding he’d check out the university and settle into his dorm in the morning.

Now, only a week since he’s been here, Johnny feels more than settled in. He has the apartment all to himself, still awaiting his roommates’ arrival, which gives him plenty of privacy. He’s already explored every nook and cranny of the town, except the woods. Johnny was actually getting some supplies to take with him on a long hike he’d been planning for the weekend when _the incident,_ as he calls it, took place.

Johnny still can’t explain exactly what happened. He never felt the way he did as he stared at the stranger in front of him. At the same time that he felt an inexplicable attraction towards him, he also felt an urge to stay as far from him as possible. Wary, the hairs at the back of Johnny’s neck stood up whenever he thought about what happened.

There isn’t any rational explanation for why seeing the guy had left Johnny so shaken. He was a very attractive guy in his 20s, probably a college student like Johnny. He’d obviously been exercising judging from his clothes, slightly damp hair and flushed cheeks. The guy looked like someone Johnny could easily have a crush on. Then why did he frighten Johnny so?

Maybe that eerie sense of familiarity was to blame, or the fact that Johnny was already confused about earlier events. He couldn’t explain it and days later he still can’t, so he decided to forget about it. Easier said than done. Whenever Johnny goes out he expects to turn a corner and stumble upon the guy again. Maybe this time he won’t run and confront him instead. Johnny still has no idea _why_ he ran. Instinct, some would call.

But that encounter with the man at the store wasn’t the only weird thing that happened since Johnny got here. The evening he arrived in town, at the inn he checked in for the night, an old lady with thin, white hair and unsettling dark eyes had come up to him and told him that it was good to see him again, leaving Johnny speechless.

“You too.” He replied, dumbly. He’d have questioned the lady but he was exhausted from the trip and just had a beer. It was the best answer he could formulate at the time.

In the morning, he’d completely forgotten about it, ordered room service, showered and organized some papers he had to take with him to the university building. Then he came down the stairs and the lady was there, at the foot, as if she’d been waiting for him.

“Long gone are the ages of the sword and wolves. It’s time to make amends,” she said to him in a calm voice before turning around and walking away.

Johnny remembered the night before and felt even more confusion. Still, he dismissed it as the antics of an eccentric. _What a strange old lady!_ Is what he thought before he left the inn for good, heading to the university which wasn’t very far, wheeling his luggage behind him and sure that nothing out of the ordinary would happen once he was in the safety of his dorm room. Butt as soon as he made it there, his expectations were crushed.

The place had been empty all summer, this much Johnny could tell. There was some dusting and cleaning to be done and the air was still and stuffy from the windows being shut for so long. The first thing he did was open the windows and let the air circulate. Then he noticed a small plant sitting on the floor by the entrance to the bathroom. It’d long been dead, probably left behind by some student in a hurry.

Johnny picked the ceramic vase up, inspecting it to see if it could be revived. The leaves were dried up and brown, some of them had fallen off, but some still remained attached to the stem. Without much thought to it, Johnny touched one of the leaves with a finger, expecting it to fall as soon as he touched it. It didn’t. Maybe there was some hope for the plant, still.

Carefully placing the vase on the windowsill, Johnny went into the small kitchen, grabbed a glass he found in one of the otherwise empty cabinets, filled it with water and returned to the room. He didn’t even take three steps towards the window before he came to a halt, almost dropping the glass in his hand with the shock of what he was seeing.

There were no more dried leaves, except for the ones that had already fallen and were sitting on the dirt surface. The plant had been restored to what it had previously been, with the healthy, green leaves shining under the sun and swaying lazily to the breeze coming from outside.

In utter confusion, Johnny walked up to it, staring at the plant in awe and disbelief. What the hell had just happened? He kept staring at it as he brought the glass of water to his lips, realizing he was shaking slightly. He gulped half the water down and used the rest to water the plant. Not that it seemed to need it.

Johnny wondered how things could get any weirder than that, then the next morning, he ran into the guy at the grocery store. 

🗲

Parties were never Johnny’s thing when he was in high school, but it’s never too late to pick up new hobbies. Not that partying can be considered a hobby. Or can it? He isn’t sure, but it doesn’t really matter. This is his new philosophy now that he’s in college: don’t knock it until you try it. Yes, he’s been to parties before and no, he’d never really enjoyed them - at least not as much as his friends, anyway. But he’s never been to a _college_ party. There must be a difference besides the fact that everyone there is legally allowed to drink.

With that in mind, Johnny attends the first party of the semester. Everyone is calling it that, even though the semester hasn’t even begun, so Johnny runs with it. He’s trying to be more carefree and less nerdy as his friends back home had advised him to be, but it’s not as easy as he thought it’d be. Rebranding is a real challenge at twenty.

There’s only a weekend left between him and his first official day as a freshman. A week before, he’d met his two roommates. Mark, a foreign student with whom Johnny clicked almost instantly, took the room opposite Johnny. The bedroom next to Johnny is occupied by a quiet kid named Taeyong, who in the first five minutes of getting there, had already put up fifty drawings and half a dozen posters on his bedroom wall.

Johnny’s happy they’re all getting along and he has nice people to share the small dorm with, so he asks them if they’d like to come with him to the party. Mark instantly says yes, while Taeyong says he’ll think about it and get back to Johnny soon.

In the end, Taeyong s decide to tag along and the three of them, clad in their jackets and scarves, since the weather took a turn in the past few days, trudge up a small hill to the house where the party is at.

The entrance to the house is indication enough that whoever owns the place has quite a lot of money. It reminds Johnny of the Hollywoodian driveways he’s seen in movies. It even has the expensive sports car parked at the end of it. Johnny and the other two look up at the modern-looking building with the wide glass doors that clash with the simple, rather old-fashioned architecture of the town. 

The three of them go up the flight of stairs that leads to the front door, not bothering to knock since the party seems to be already raging inside.

“I’m gonna get us drinks,” Mark announces, already making his way to where he thinks the alcohol is with a confidence Johnny wishes he possessed. He huddles closer to Taeyong so they don’t get separated in the crowd as they make it out of the hallway and into a spacious living room that’s packed with people dancing and chatting, all holding beer bottles and plastic cups filled with mysterious concoctions. 

Since theirs is a fairly small campus there are a lot of familiar faces and Johnny greets everyone with a shy wave or a nod as he practically pulls Taeyong with him across the room until they make it outside. He isn’t surprised there’s a pool area as much as he’s relieved. It’s not as crowded outside and the fact that they’re outdoors makes it less claustrophobic for Johnny.

Much to both Johnny and Taeyong’s surprise, Mark has no trouble finding them outside, bearing drinks for all. He hands Johnny a beer, already privy to the fact that Johnny can’t handle hard liquor, while he and Taeyong take their chances with the spiked punch. 

“Whose party is this, do you know?” Johnny asks after taking a sip of his beer. 

“Some guy named Jaehyun, who’s like loaded,” Mark replies, then takes a sip of his own drink and makes a face. Johnny laughs, grateful that he chose to stick to beer.

“Oh.” Johnny nods. He’s never heard that name before, but he must be pretty popular since more than half of the campus is here.

“I think he’s a sophomore,” Mark says, looking around and sticking his neck out as if he’s looking for someone. Johnny doesn’t comment on it, though. It’s none of his business.

Taeyong, on the other hand, is more candid than Johnny whenever he does speak, so he asks, eyebrow raised, “Are you expecting to see someone here?”

Mark looks surprised and embarrassed at the same time, but he recovers fast. 

“Not really… I… Maybe. There’s this guy I saw in town a couple of times. Tall, handsome, pierced ears, has the sexiest accent I’ve ever heard... Was thinking maybe I would bump into him here and, you know, strike up a conversation.”

Johnny snickers at how cute Mark is, trying to play it cool when he clearly has a major crush on whoever this guy is.

“I’ll keep an eye for you,” Johnny says.

“Thanks, bro!” Mark says, smiling and looking genuinely thankful.

After an hour or so and a couple more beers Johnny feels pleasantly buzzed. He even dares to sway back and forth slightly to the electronic music blasting from the high-end sound system installed in the living room. Taeyong only left Johnny’s side to go to the bathroom a couple of times, and they’ve been discussing the classes they’re taking this semester. Mark keeps coming and going, sometimes with more drinks, sometimes just to check on his friends. He knows and is friendly with more people than Taeyong and Johnny combined so it’s cute that he still makes sure to divide his attention between the different groups of friends he belongs to.

At some point, he comes over with some other guys, who look way too young to be in college in Johnny’s opinion. Although, he might look _too_ old to be a freshman as well. Sometimes he regrets taking a gap year to travel around the world, but then he remembers that learning goes beyond the walls of a classroom and he’s back to feeling glad he did it.

“These are Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun. Renjun is _from China_.” Johnny has not a clue why Mark put so much emphasis in that last bit of information, but he has a feeling he’ll know soon enough.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Johnny,” Johnny introduces himself, followed by Taeyong. They exchange the usual pleasantries and the four hang around for a while before leaving again.

“I gotta break the seal, man,” Johnny tells Taeyong who, then, points him in the general direction of where the bathroom is. 

Johnny decides to hold onto his beer instead of giving it to Taeyong. He figures by the time he actually makes it to the bathroom he’ll have finished the bottle. Johnny’s proven right. He isn’t as skilled as Mark in maneuvering through the clusters of people and more than once he’s had to elbow his way through the crowd.

Finally away from the hustle and bustle of the party, Johnny finds himself in a large, empty corridor. There are at least four doors on each side and Johnny, of course, has no idea which one is the bathroom’s. Sighing, he takes a few steps towards the first door to his left, twisting the knob. Locked.

The second and third doors are also locked. Starting to get impatient, Johnny walks up to the fifth door and twists the handle with a little more force than necessary. The distinct sound of something breaking comes from the lock startling Johnny. He lets go of the handle, taking a step back. Did he really just break the door lock? No, that’s impossible.

Johnny stares dumbly at his right hand, flexing his fingers. It’s his hand but it might as well be a stranger’s. He swears the faint veins visible on his palm glow a strange pale blue, as if alight from within. Blinking a few times, Johnny shakes his head. It’s probably the beer, he thinks. He’s imagining things because he isn’t used to drinking.

Turning his attention to the slightly ajar door, Johnny tentatively grabs the handle again and pushes it open. It’s dark inside the room, but it’s obviously not the bathroom. Johnny decides to enter the room, anyway. Maybe there was a bathroom adjacent to it, who knows? 

But it becomes obvious enough as soon as Johnny’s eyes get used to the darkness that this is an office. It’s large and old-fashioned looking, unlike the rest of the house. Johnny can make out floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on one wall and some paintings at the opposite one. Across from the door and behind the large desk there are only glass windows partially obscured by heavy curtains.

Johnny walks up to the desk, not able to stop his curiosity. There’s a desk lamp that Johnny turns on, bathing the room in warm, golden light. The light it provides is just enough for Johnny to be able to take a better look around, to see the faces in the paintings. Johnny gets closer to the wall where they hang from, scanning the unfamiliar faces until he sees a familiar one. Over and over, in almost every painting.

The man he saw in the store, his handsome face staring back at Johnny from where he sits at an older woman’s side, dressed in 18th century fashion. And again, standing alone by a fireplace with a toddler in his arms. There are also pictures: black and white ones depicting different settings. A group of men bearing hunting gear, two gentlemen standing side by side, holding their horses by the bridle, a newly-wed couple smiling at the front steps of a church. 

“What the--,” Johnny says out loud as he continues to examine the pictures until he’s looked at every single one of them. This is the strangest thing he’s ever seen. Johnny’s heard of family resemblance across different generations but this is clearly not that. There’s no doubt that it’s the same person in all of the photos and paintings and that they span over at least a couple of centuries.

Johnny crosses the office again, careful not to trip on any piece of furniture. Everything in this office is anacronic, it makes Johnny feel like he entered a time capsule and traveled back in time. Mind still reeling with what he just saw, he absentmindedly scans the book spines on the shelves that are eye-level. Most are classics, books Johnny remembers from his literature classes in high school. Nothing as interesting as the pictures.

As Johnny walks down along the wall he notices a door he hadn’t seen before. Immediately he tries to open it. It doesn’t give. The owner of the house is clearly a private person, and now Johnny suddenly feels guilty for invading their privacy like this.

Deciding it’s time to leave and go back to his search for a bathroom, Johnny turns around. He isn’t expecting to be greeted by a figure standing at the door to the office. Johnny’s heart leaps, but he doesn’t show how startled he is by the sudden appearance.

“May I ask what you’re doing here?” Johnny can’t see much of the person’s face but somehow he knows who’s standing there. It can’t be anyone else.

“Looking for the bathroom,” Johnny replies way more confidently than he expected.

“Really?” The man takes a few steps into the room, turning briefly to close the door behind him and sending Johnny into a state of alert before he resumes his walk until he’s inside the halo of light and Johnny can clearly see who he is. 

He was not mistaken.

“It’s you,” Johnny says dumbly.

The guy smirks, eyebrows shooting up slightly, seemingly amused at Johnny’s reaction.

“At last, we meet again,” he says in a soft yet confident tone. Johnny likes the way his voice sounds strangely melodic. There’s an underlying danger there, too, that Johnny can’t explain.

“ _Who_ are you?” is all Johnny can ask. 

The tension in the air grows as silence stretches between them. Johnny waits for the answer to his question, growing antsy as Jaehyun stares at him as if he’s trying to see through Johnny’s flesh right into his soul. An uncomfortable, prickly feeling spreads through Johnny’s skin, making him fidget in place. 

The light of the lamp seems to flicker before Johnny’s eyes and it’s like the man in front of him is closer than before. But Johnny never sees him move. A darkness starts to creep in, enclosing them. Johnny looks around and the room starts to dissolve right before his eyes. The only thing he can clearly see is the handsome face of the man so close to him. This stranger, invading Johnny’s personal space as if he belongs there.

Before Johnny can register, the man is leaning forward, tilting his chin slightly up to whisper in Johnny’s ear.

“The question should be: who are _we_?” 

The lights go off. Johnny’s left in darkness. There’s a light touch on his shoulder, and another soft whisper:

_“Let me show you.”_


	2. nemesis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **chapter warnings** : minor violence, mild gore, mentions of drugs

**_God_ ** _ (noun)  _

_ a superhuman being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity. _

Johnny wakes up in his bed.

At first he’s disoriented, has no idea how he got there. He blinks a few times, adjusting his vision to the darkness of the room. Then he sits up and feels a sharp throbbing on the side of his head. He reaches for his temple, massaging it with his fingers. It’s probably just a migraine from all the alcohol he had. There’s no recollection in his mind of drinking enough to completely black out, but it must’ve happened. That’s the only explanation for it.

The room is dark except for some light seeping through the curtains on the small window above his bed. Johnny pats his bed blindly, looking for his cellphone. Maybe there’s something in the groupchat that’ll shed some light on what exactly happened between him finding Jaehyun’s office and now.

_ Jaehyun. _

That’s his name, Johnny thinks. And suddenly finding his phone isn’t his top priority anymore. Jaehyun’s name popping up in his mind triggers flashes of images, scenes and feelings so overwhelming he finds himself lying back in bed again. The headache gets progressively worse as he starts to remember everything up to when Jaehyun walked to him, whispering something so close to Johnny’s ear, Johnny could still feel Jaehyun’s hot breath against his skin.

And then darkness. Followed by that prickling feeling again.

Johnny feels it all over again, as if he was falling into the same trap Jaehyun had set earlier that night. Because he  _ had _ to have done something to Johnny, whatever it was. 

Nothing else could explain the fact that after darkness settled and faded in a matter of seconds, Johnny found himself in the middle of a vast, grass field. He looks around, breathing in the air around him. It's stale and hot as it fills Johnny’s lungs with each inhale. Even now, laying in bed, it’s like he can feel the slight burn of it.

The place is like something out of a movie. At first glance it looks like Earth but the sky's the wrong shade of blue, the tall grass sways from side to side even though there’s no wind; licking at Johnny’s bare calves gently. He looks down at his hands and instantly knows that they don’t belong to him. They’re bigger, stronger and there’s a strange power emanating from them in visible, translucent waves. 

A distant crowing can be heard and the soft tune of a harp is carried by the wind, filling Johnny’s ears and catching his attention. Turning, he walks with sure steps even though he isn’t certain where, following the tune and the crowing of the invisible birds . A small hill is in his direct field of vision.

A lacerating pain crosses the back of Johnny’s head and he hisses, back arching as he writhes in bed, grabbing his head with both hands. Another flashback invades his mind, this one more vivid. It’s like Johnny’s there again: there are bodies all around him, unfamiliar faces with lifeless eyes staring up at the sky. Johnny’s feet carry him across the sea of bodies, trampling over limbs, empty armors and dying horses.

“Where am I?” Johnny whispers to himself, voice deep and foreign to his own ears.

“At the end. But also at the beginning,” comes Jaehyun’s voice. From where exactly Johnny can’t say. He doesn’t try to find the source of the voice, just keeps walking as with purpose.

Lightning strikes, its deathly vines crossing the dark grey skies above Johnny’s head and suddenly he’s standing next to the corpse of a giant wolf. His entire body is covered in blood, a giant spear secured in his right hand. Johnny’s heart’s beating so fast in his ribcage as he lays in bed, but he feels a strange kind of calm as his other self stands there, breathing hard as he scans the defeated creature. There’s pride, but also deep hurt in his heart. Johnny feels it all.

The pain in Johnny’s head is so strong now he’s almost numb to it. He cradles his head in his hands, breathing heavy as another flashback comes to him. It’s a little different this time, like watching through a screen. Johnny feels detached from the scene as it flickers before his eyes. Inside a cave, dark and damp, Johnny watches as a humanoid creature, at least 3 meters tall, sinks its claws into a man’s armor. The giant looks like it’s made of stone and fire with long, curved horns protruding from its head. 

The giant holds the man… No. He isn’t a man, Johnny corrects himself. He’s a god. With long blond hair partially covered by a helmet and a beard almost as long of the same color. The man struggles before the monster rips down the god’s side, through metal and flesh as blood gushes out of the wounds. Oddly, rage not fear washes over Johnny as the scene unfolds before him. 

The god is still alive after the monster’s claws retreat, freeing him, but the creature is clearly not done. Slowly, it unhinges its jaw. The wounded god tries to scramble to his feet, reach for his sword on the ground, though before he’s able to, the horned giant spits fire from his mouth, burning him alive.

There’s no screaming, nothing. The man,  _ the god _ , dies quietly, reduced to nothing but ashes. 

Johnny’s unable to move, but he feels hot, furious tears prickle his eyes and stream down his cheeks. The giant withdraws with heavy steps that shake the ground under his feet. Johnny stands there, powerless, watching its retreating back.

“It had to be done,” Jaehyun’s voice echoes all around him once more. Johnny wants to curse him, but he can’t find his own voice.

Slowly, the pain is subsiding. Johnny relaxes gradually, ready for this to be over, whatever it is. He doesn’t want to remember anymore. But he knows it isn't over. He’s pulled again into oppressive darkness, though sensing he’s not alone, he reaches out, trying to grab onto whoever it is. He finds an arm, wraps a hand around it, soft skin under his fingertips.

_ “Bear with it. Just a little more. I have to show you." _

Water. 

Deep blue water all around him, carrying Johnny as he floats, weightless. There are others around him and he knows them but can’t name them. It’s a peaceful time, though. There’s hope in Johnny’s heart even though it’s bitter. Then there’s a timelapse and, now, where there had only been water before, it’s possible to see earth, more of it rising from the depths of the seas the longer Johnny looks around.

He knows Jaehyun’s with him. Not in the memory, but he’s the one showing Johnny all of it. His presence is a constant and it grounds Johnny to reality.

Darkness envelopes him one last time.

Now he’s back at that field again. Everything looks exactly the same, but the air around him is fresh and breathable. The sky has also assumed a different hue, closer to the ordinary blue he’s used to.

All the others are there, reunited. The ones who survived. Some are standing around, others walking together in little groups or alone. 

Johnny is one of them. He _ belongs. _

Johnny strolls through the tall grass, noticing how the ground glimmers with the golden remains of their past. He bends down to pick one of the gold pieces, turns it this way and that in his hand. A lot of the others are doing the same. The weight of the metal is familiar in Johnny’s hand, cool against his palm. It’s soothing, beckoning him to play and celebrate after a long time.

In the future, the halcyon days await. The days of peace and harmony. It’s what the gentle breeze that blows speaks of. It’s what the melodies of the scyther, the harp and the drums promise with each note that reaches Johnny’s ears.

“ _ If only it had been like that, _ ” Jaehyun’s voice draws him back to reality.

Johnny’s in bed again. Wide awake, eyes open and sweat covering his body. The pain’s all but gone, but his entire body is sore. He feels even more hungover than before and way more confused, too.

Jaehyun said he was going to show Johnny what he…  _ they  _ were. But Johnny feels even more confused than he was. What was the meaning of all that? He isn’t even convinced there’s a meaning. 

As Johnny lays there, in the darkness of his room, hearing Mark’s soft snoring, he starts to become more and more convinced that he was drugged. By who? Could only have been by Jaehyun since he was the last person Johnny recalls seeing before he lost consciousness. Or maybe meeting Jaehyun in his office had also been a hallucination. Who knows?

Johnny sighs after a while, feeling another headache coming, although not as bad as the previous one. He carefully gets up to take a shower and by the time he’s back in his bed, safely tucked under the covers, he’s made up his mind to find Jaehyun the next day and demand explanations. 

🗲

“What have you done to me?” Johnny asks as soon as Jaehyun opens the door. To the man’’s credit, Johnny looks like he had a hellish night. His eyes are bloodshot, hair a mess and clothes disheveled. Jaehyun almost feels bad.

“Good morning to you, too. Would you like to come in?” Jaehyun takes a step to the side, freeing the passage for Johnny to enter his home.

“Did you drug me?” Johnny’s clearly mad but he’s so exhausted that the effect of his rage is partially lost since he sounds so weak and tired.

Jaehyun reflexively scoffs. Then clears his throat, feeling apologetic. “No, I would never.”

“Well, you did something!” Johnny finally steps inside, a little reluctantly. They’re almost the same height, but Jaehyun still has to look slightly up so he can meet Johnny’s eyes. That annoys him a bit, but what can he do? At the time, when he chose this body he didn’t have many options.

“That, I did. But it didn’t involve drugs, I can assure you. All I did was allow you to access your memories,” Jaehyun explains matter-of-factly. It isn’t like him to sugarcoat things as much as it’s pulling at his heartstrings to see Johnny struggle. Which is weird in and on itself. Jaehyun doesn’t have heartstrings to be pulled. 

“My… memories?” Johnny stares at Jaehyun in confusion. He looks desperate. Jaehyun feels compassion he has seldom felt in his existence.

“Come with me?” Jaehyun asks, starting for the hallway even before Johnny decides to follow him. 

He decides not to take Johnny into his office, being his most private room. He takes him to the living room, instead. He offers Johnny a seat on the L-shaped sofa, but Johnny refuses. Jaehyun shrugs, sitting down and leaning back. It’s not a comfortable position to have someone as tall as Johnny hovering over him, but Jaehyun thinks the best course of action is to appear the least threatening considering how wired-up Johnny is.

Jaehyun takes a deep breath before he starts. “What do you think of it?”

“What do I think of what?” Johnny’s pacing around, going from one side of the living room to the other, but keeping himself in Jaehyun’s line of vision. Probably so he can also watch Jaehyun at all times. 

“What I showed you. Your memories,” Jaehyun clarifies.

“Those weren’t memories. Those were hallucinations, dreams,” Johnny corrects, shaking his head frantically. His hair is sticking out at odd angles and Jaehyun feels the sudden urge to reach out and fix it. He waves away the feeling quickly.

“Is that what you think? Have you ever had dreams that felt so real? Those weren’t dreams, Johnny. Those were things that happened to you, to me. In another lifetime, eons ago, before time, as we know it, existed.”

“What the fuck? Are you taking a piss right now? Is this some kind of prank?” Johnny spits, finally stopping to stare at Jaehyun. 

_ He hates me. Maybe that’s balance restored _ , Jaehyun thinks bitterly. It would be, but there are so little of them left now that he isn’t sure hatred serves any purpose.

“Has anything out of the ordinary happened to you lately, Johnny?” Jaehyun asks and it’s not without a little satisfaction that he sees Johnny’s expression change from anger to confusion to realization. It still amazes Jaehyun the range of emotion that the human face can display.

“See, I can’t really explain  _ why _ or  _ how _ , but I have reason to believe you’re one of the old gods reincarnated,” Jaehyun continues before Johnny says anything.

“One of the  _ old gods?”  _ Johnny exclaims in disbelief. He looks down at his own hands, flexing his fingers as he seems to ponder the words.

“Yes. I’m sure you’ve heard of many types of mythology…,” Jaehyun’s voice trails off.

“Of course. But it’s called mythology for a reason. Those are myths. It’s not real,” there’s desperation in the other man’s voice, almost like he wants to convince himself of what he’s saying.

To Jaehyun’s surprise, Johnny’s starting to believe all of it way faster than he expected. He already knew, deep down, there was something unusual about him. Jaehyun doesn’t know why, but he suspects Johnny had experienced something prior to what happened last night, something that made all of it a little less absurd.

“But it is real. Of course not all of it, but a good chunk. The essence of it. It’s very much real, Johnny,” Jaehyun says. He sees the change in Johnny, intrigued by the way he takes in what Jaehyun’s telling him. 

“So you’re telling me I’m a god.” Johnny’s looking at him again, skepticism and anger mostly gone from his face. He looks even more exhausted now.

“Precisely, yes,” Jaehyun calmly reiterates. 

Johnny walks to where Jaehyun’s sitting, stopping only a few steps from him, then throws himself on the couch. He buries his face in his hands as Jaehyun observes him. It had been a while since he’d broken news like this to someone. Centuries, actually. It had taken Lucas a lot longer than Johnny to accept it.

Jaehyun waits patiently for Johnny to regain what he can of his composure. He’s itching to touch Johnny, to give his broad back a pat or to simply lay his hand soothingly on his shoulder. He doesn’t know why. Jaehyun has never been the type. Maybe the thousands of years inhabiting a mortal body has made him soft. 

Finally, after some minutes, Johnny rubs his eyes with the back of his hands and straightens up. He doesn’t look in Jaehyun’s direction, though, preferring to stare blankly ahead.

“Are you also a god?” Johnny inquires after a few more seconds of silence.

“I’m not. I’m… something quite different. We’ve met before, a long time ago. As enemies.”

“Enemies?” Johnny’s head whips around, eyebrows raised in both curiosity and surprise.

“I’m what they call a giant, a titan or simply a monster if you prefer. I’m a primeval being, older than your kind. As far as I know I’m the last man standing, so to speak. But I’d thought your kind was extinct. Clearly I was wrong,” Jaehyun replies, digressing slightly, but there’s so much to explain, that even if Johnny’s less eager to ask questions than Lucas was, Jaehyun can’t help but want to get it over with and tell Johnny everything.

“And yes, we were enemies. The gods destroyed my kind in the war that I showed you. Of course, we also killed many of you, as you witnessed,” Jaehyun adds.

“It was you. The monster,” Johnny’s eyes grow comically wide and he backs away from Jaehyun a few centimeters making the latter smile in amusement.

“Yeah, it was me. In my true form. If I can even consider that my true form anymore, since I’ve inhabited this body for so long. I’m not even sure I can look like that anymore,” once more Jaehyun catches himself musing about useless things. Silently, he reprimends himself.

Johnny falls silent again and as if owing him something, Jaehyun patiently awaits again. While he does so, he hears footsteps approaching. It can only be Lucas so Jaehyun doesn’t bother moving. Lucas will have known by Johnny’s scent that Jaehyun’s not alone. Out of protectiveness, Lucas would interrupt if this was anyone else but Jaehyun had assured him that Johnny isn’t harmful. Still, Jaehyun can sense Lucas’s presence right outside of the door, keeping watch.

“Do I have superpowers?” are Johnny’s next words. Jaehyun can’t help the laugh that escapes him, but Johnny doesn’t seem to take offense.

“ _ Superpowers _ ,” Jaehyun repeats the word. It’s always been a funny word to him. “I guess you can say that.”

“That’s how I brought that plant back to life,” Johnny whispers, eyes going blank again as he recalls something.

“Interesting,” Jaehyun mutters, then raising his voice so the other can hear him, he asks, “Was it by accident?”

“Y-yeah, the other day in my dorm… I touched this dead plant and it sprang back to life.”

“Oh, so you’re one of the really powerful ones and not a lesser god.” Jaehyun’s fascinated by Johnny and that doesn’t make him happy. He tries to hide it as best as he can, but he knows it’ll be hard to keep his distance. 

One of Jaehyun’s biggest flaws is that he hates being alone. That’s why he has Lucas and they’ve been inseparable since the day they met. Lucas has been Jaehyun’s lifelong companion, which felt natural considering what Lucas is, but Johnny is… Johnny is something that directly connects Jaehyun to the past. To what was and could’ve been. 

Sure, Jaehyun and Johnny had been fated to die by each other’s hands. They had been mortal enemies and that was the natural order of things. They could never have coexisted peacefully. That’s why they fought, many were slaughtered, and the world was destroyed, caved in on itself only to emerge again and bring with it another era.

Jaehhyun can’t help but ask himself if that isn’t all pointless now. Part of him despises Johnny, yes, but it’s such an infinitesimal part that Jaehyun can’t even take it into consideration. He’s more intrigued than anything else. But he’s patient, he won’t chase after Johnny or try to keep him at his side. His goal was to show Johnny what he was, let him know his true nature and, now that he did so, he’ll let Johnny go and figure the rest out by himself. If he seeks Jaehyun out eventually, that’s fine. 

That morning Johnny does ask more questions before he leaves. Jaehyun can’t answer a lot of them. He has no clue as to why Johnny was picked as the god’s vessel or why only now his superpowers, as he refers to them, have manifested themselves. Jaehyun has no explanation for what happened to the other gods, either. 

It’s bittersweet to see Johnny leave. Jaehyun feels a mix of relief and regret. He’s glad that he was able to give Johnny some clarity, but at the same time, couldn’t help but think that might not have been the best course of action. He doesn’t know the purpose of it all. Why was Johnny picked for this? Why has a god suddenly appeared in this remote town that Jaehyun chose as his safe haven for the time? What were the odds?

There are too many questions to be answered. Jaehyun’s exhausted, frustrated, full of hatred for himself and the world. Feels a lot like old times, he thinks bitterly with a chuckle.

As he closes the house’s front door, Lucas comes up behind him and strong arms wrap around Jaehyun’s middle. Jaehyun lets his head fall back against Lucas’s shoulder, letting out a small, involuntary groan. Lucas’s arms tighten around him, - a fierce hold that would break a mortal’s ribs, cut off the air flow, reduce them to nothing but broken bones - but that, to Jaehyun, is comforting. 

He lets himself be carried to the bedroom by Lucas, turning the fireplace on with a wave of his hand as the hound curls up at his feet. Jaehyun lets the fire and Lucas warm his body, but it’s thoughts of Johnny that worm their way into his mind and Jaehyun suspects that they're here to stay.


	3. discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **chapter warnings** : descriptions of dead animals, alcohol use

Johnny’s first week as a freshman has gone by in a blur. He barely remembers his actual classes, or nights at the dorm spent with his new friends: the constant hustle and bustle of daily life not really registering with him.. All he could think of were Jaehyun’s words, Jaehyun’s face and the images engraved in Johnny’s memory like he’d actually lived them not long ago.

After he left Jaehyun's house that afternoon, he’d gone straight to his dorm and locked himself in his bedroom; laptop in hand. He’d researched everything he could about gods, giants, monsters. He’d read up on all kinds of different mythologies, from Greek to Chinese. He’d even delved slightly on different religion’s holy scriptures. By the time Johnny was done, his brain hurt and he was even more confused than before.

Johnny couldn’t sleep that night. He kept having these incredibly vivid dreams: of him standing in the middle of a forest with impossibly tall trees that seemed to reach the purple skies above his head, its roots connected to his own legs. And of Jaehyun, hovering over him, eyes speckled with gold, pupils dilated, staring at Johnny with a hunger he could feel in his bones. 

There were more dreams, but they were blurry and melted into each other as Johnny tried to remember them. Ice, fire, blood, lightning. And at the center, always Johnny. Sometimes alone, sometimes with Jaehyun. He vaguely remembers a giant hound spitting blood on the ground from where it sprung poisonous vines that slithered up Johnny’s legs, binding him.

Every time he woke up, soaked in sweat and heart racing.

The next morning he made it to his first class feeling like death. He had bags under his eyes and a splitting headache. Mark gave him concerned looks but didn’t pry. He seemed busy texting someone for most of the day and, thankfully, left Johnny alone.

During the week, Johnny caught some glimpses of Jaehyun but the latter kept his distance. Johnny noticed he was always accompanied by some tall guy with dark hair and large, even darker eyes. Johnny thinks he saw him in some of the photos in Jaehyun’s office, but he can’t be sure.

Johnny didn’t make any moves to approach Jaehyun either, but as the weekend inches closer and closer he feels like he has no-one to talk to about what’s happening to him. He can’t just tell Mark and his other college buddies about how he, apparently, is some kind of ancient god incarnate. They wouldn’t believe him, and would probably think he’s on drugs or something. Johnny thinks of, maybe, calling his brother Donghyuck but the kid already has enough on his plate with being a senior in high-school and dealing with their parents’ divorce.

Johnny’s confused, overwhelmed and worst of all, he feels alone.

“I’m going for a walk,” Johnny announces as he crosses their common room, sparing a glance at Taeyong and Mark, who’ve been on the couch all day playing video games.

“Oh, okay, bro. Can you stop by the store and bring us some snacks?” Mark asks, eyes not straying from the TV screen.

“Sure,” Johnny says, already stepping out of the room.

In hopes that some fresh air will help him clear his mind and ease some of his anxiety, Johnny finds himself walking along the river that crosses that small town. The biting wind of early winter prickles his cheeks, but he doesn’t really feel the cold, even though he’s wearing only his hoodie and sweatpants. 

Johnny takes his time strolling alongside the gentle stream of water, letting his mind wander, once again, to Jaehyun. Johnny’s so intrigued by him. He’d dare say he’s more intrigued by Jaehyun than about anything else. Even the discovery that he might be something… other than human, seems to not weigh on his mind as much as Jaehyun does.

Did fate bring them together? What are the odds that they would meet like this after thousands and thousands of years? What does all of it mean? It bothers Johnny that the only person who has answers doesn’t have the ones Johnny so desperately needs. It would be a lot easier if he could make sense of what’s happening, if he knew the reason behind it all. 

Johnny sighs, looking up at the sky, shoulders sagging. He feels tired and drained from all the thinking he’s been doing, so he takes a deep breath, lets his eyes linger on the clear skies above, as if expecting some divine message to suddenly appear there.

The exact opposite happens though, when a tiny bird suddenly falls, crashing right by Johnny's feet into the concrete ground.

Startled, Johnny takes a few steps back, eyes landing on the bird’s lifeless body, its thin little legs stretched upwards. One of its wings looks injured, and there’s a small pool of blood where it fell.

Johnny looks around, trying to find anything that’d indicate how the poor animal got injured, but there’s absolutely nothing. It was probably injured somewhere else and it tried to fly away but couldn’t. That still didn’t explain how it crashed like that, but at this point Johnny’s already gotten used to strange, unexpected things happening around him.

A couple of steps forward is all it takes for Johnny to get a closer look at the bird. It’s definitely dead. He crouches down, examining it for a few more seconds, before he decides to take it and bury it somewhere. Johnny figures he can’t just leave it out there, it seems cruel to him.

Pulling on his right sleeve so it covers his hand, Johnny gently scoops up the bird in his palm, feeling its weight and the lingering warmth of something that was alive only minutes ago. Slowly, Johnny rises to his feet, turning around to walk back to campus. There’s a wooded area behind his dorm building which would make a nice burial ground for the bird. 

With intent, Johnny starts his walk back to campus, feeling a little melancholic but welcoming the distraction from all the being-a-god bullshit he’s been obsessing over lately. He gets a few strange looks here and there from passersby but he doesn’t pay them any mind, too focused on the task at hand.

He’s only a few meters away from his dorm when he feels a slight twitch in his right hand. He thinks he’s imagining things, and doesn’t spare it a glance, simply keeps walking. Then he feels it again, this time stronger, accompanied by a faint rustling sound.

Johnny raises his hand, looks at it and opens his fist slightly. 

In the back of his mind, he already expected it, but he didn’t want to believe it: the bird is alive and moving in Johnny’s hand as if waking up from a sleep. Johnny can feel its heartbeat, which wasn’t there when he picked it up. 

Johnny’s own heart’s beating so fucking fast, adrenaline taking over as he watches the bird come back to life, wings flapping gently, its beak opening up to let out a soft trill. 

“Fuck,” Johnny curses, unwrapping his fingers completely from around the tiny thing and letting it get on its feet.

Johnny looks at its beady, black eyes as the bird seems to stare right back at him and he can’t explain it but it’s like there’s gratitude there. With one last trill, stronger now, the bird flies away, leaving a dumbfounded Johnny standing there with his hand in the air, palm up and feeling like he’s truly lost his goddamn mind.

🗲 

“I think I’m Jesus. Is that possible?” 

Jaehyun can’t help but laugh out loud at Johnny’s question. When he got up to open his front door, he didn’t expect to see a frazzled Johnny standing there, but he didn’t hesitate to let the man in. Jaehyun wonders if this will become routine now and realizes he wouldn’t mind that much if it did. 

Johnny looks like he needed some hot chocolate, or maybe a dose of whisky or both. In any case, Jaehyun feels obligated to aid Johnny since he’s most likely partly to blame for his current taste.

“You’re not Jesus, Johnny. I can assure you that. You’re way more powerful,” Jaehyun replies, filling up Johnny’s glass with some Bourbon. “Drink up.”

“No, thanks. I can’t handle hard liquor,” Johnny waves Jaehyun off. 

“Please, it’ll make you feel better, Johnny. Believe me,” Jaehyun insists, assuming a gentle tone that surprises even himself. He slides the glass across the kitchen table to Johnny’s side with a pointed look.

“Okay,” Johnny sighs, nodding. Then he picks up the glass and downs it unceremoniously, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand afterwards.

Jaehyun watches unabashedly each one of Johnny’s movements: the way his slender fingers wrap around the whiskey glass and his too-long bangs fall to the side as he throws his head back. Jaehyun’s eyes especially linger on the long expanse of Johnny’s neck and the way his Adam's apple bobs as he gulps down the liquor.

_He’s so powerful and yet so oblivious to it._ Jaehyun can practically feel the power emanating from Johnny’s body like an electric current, like the heat of a bonfire, enveloping him. It's intoxicating in a way, but also slightly terrifying. It’s been a long time since Jaehyun’s been around a being as powerful as Johnny.

“That was easy,” Johnny says, looking surprised.

“More?” Jaehyun asks, already raising the bottle again to pour Johnny some more.

“Sure,” Johnny says and he really looks like he didn’t feel it at all. He doesn’t even make a face the second time he takes a shot.

“Feeling better?” 

“Yeah, definitely,” Johnny manages a small, shy smile in Jaehyun’s direction. Jaehyun averts his eyes, feeling somewhat shy himself. It’s fine, there’s no shame in that, he tells himself. It’s only natural that he’s this way around a god, a slayer of giants.

“So, am I really more powerful than Jesus?”

Jaehyun chuckles, shaking his head. He pours the both of them one more shot, before answering, “If what you told me is true, you might be the most powerful being to be walking the Earth as we speak. At least to my knowledge, and that’s far-reaching. The gift of life, that’s the most precious thing and being able to restore life is no small feat.”

“I-I guess…,” Johnny mutters, eyes downcast. There’s some color on his cheeks now and Jaehyun would bet that it’s not only from the alcohol.

“Would you be willing to demonstrate it to me?” 

“Demonstrate? My power?” Johnny’s eyes go wide, he brings his hands forward, staring at them as if they’re someone else’s.

“Yes. Only if you’re comfortable, though.”

Johnny stays silent for a while, obviously considering Jaehyun’s request. The latter waits patiently, swirling the bourbon around in his glass, trying not to fix his gaze on Johnny as not to make him feel uncomfortable. Jaehyun wants Johnny to trust him, but he still doesn’t know exactly why. 

“I can do it,” comes Johnny's answer. He looks up at Jaehyun who scans the other man’s face for any sign of hesitation. He sees none and that satisfies him.

“Come with me then,” Jaehyun says, standing up. They both finish up the bourbon in their glasses and Johnny follows Jaehyun into his car without questioning where they’re going, which makes Jaehyun feel giddy - a rather foreign feeling to him.

They drive outside the town limits into a winding road Johnny has never been at, cutting through the woods. The forest surrounding them becomes denser and wilder the longer they drive, the trees taller. Johnny takes in the beautiful scenery and opens the window to breathe in the earthy scent carried by the wind.

Jaehyun smiles as he sees how Johnny seems to be enjoying himself, like he’s in his element the closer to nature they get.

  
“This is nice,” Jaehyun hears Johnny say, humming in response as he watches the road. “You know, I chose to study here because of how beautiful the town looked in the photos on the college’s website. The forest, the river… I felt drawn to it.”

“There are plenty of other small college towns like this one, though,” Jaehyun pointed out.

“True. But in none of those there was a mythological being waiting to tell me I’m a god,” Johnny says and the weight of his gaze on Jaehyun leads him to glance at Johnny only to see the smirk in the latter’s face.

This is the first time Johnny makes a joke in Jaehyun’s presence. The atmosphere between them seems lighter now, Jaehyun can sense the shift. He decides he likes it.

“Maybe it was fate,” Jaehyun says and when he does, he realizes he partly believes it.

“I’m starting to think that, too,” Johnny replies, truthfully.

The rest of the ride is spent in silence, but it only takes a few more minutes for them to reach their destination. 

Jaehyun’s hunting cabin is only a few meters from the main road. When they park in front of it, Johnny wastes no time, jumping out from Jaehyun’s sportscar to look around the area. Jaehyun thinks it’s cute how curious Johnny is about everything and decides not to rush him, even though it’s getting dark soon. It’s not like that would be a problem for either of them, anyway.

“So, how are we gonna do this?” Johnny asks, finally walking to Jaehyun’s side, hands in his pockets and looking apprehensive.

“Follow me,” Jaehyun says, leading the way around the cabin and down a small slope behind it.

They quietly walk a few meters side-by-side, until Jaehyun turns to Johnny and says, “It shouldn’t smell too bad, but still, it might not be too pleasant.”

“What… _Oh_.” Johnny’s steps come to a sudden halt, right behind Jaehyun, as his eyes shift to the ground right by the foot of the small hill. 

Johnny feels a slight sickness even as the faintest scent of death reaches his nostrils. He covers his nose and mouth behind a hand, looking away. It's never pleasant to look at a dead animal, and Johnny certainly has never been so close to such a big one before. The bird from earlier had left him somewhat sad but a big, majestic animal like a deer reduced to nothing but a lifeless carcass… Johnny doesn't know if he can do this.

“It’s been dead for barely a day,” Jaehyun says, resuming his walk and stopping only a couple of steps away from the deer.

"What happened to it?" Johnny asks, still unable to look. He'd caught a glimpse of its eyes, devoid of any spark of life and he doesn't wish to see it again.

"It's most likely roadkill. My dog he…. sniffed it when we were out for a walk."

"I see," Johnny nods. He still hasn't moved.

Jaehyun's eyes shift from the deer to Johnny, concerned that maybe he did the wrong thing bringing Johnny here. Maybe he shouldn't have. He didn't want to have to explain anything else to Johnny now… He doesn't have any more answers and he doesn't feel like talking about Lucas yet. Not until he knows he can trust Johnny or at least know where they stand, just enough that he can predict what Johnny’s next move would be if push comes to shove.

It's Jaehyun's duty to keep himself and Lucas safe and alive as he has all these hundreds of years.

“Do you think you can bring it back to life?” Jaehyun asks, eyes trained on Johnny. He doesn’t miss the way the other cringes at the words.

“I don’t know… I don’t actually know _how_ I do it. It just happens.”

“Well, I guess you could touch it for starters? And then see what happens,” Jaehyun suggests tentatively. 

“Touch it, yeah. You’re right,” Johnny repeats, voice sounding distant. 

It’s obvious to Jaehyun that Johnny would rather be anywhere else in the world right now. He suddenly feels horrible for having brought him here. Walking up to Johnny’s side, Jaehyun places a gentle hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

“Hey, it’s okay if you don’t wanna do this. We can just go back.”

Johnny’s head whips around and he looks at Jaehyun with such innocent eyes that Jaehyun’s taken aback; ends up dropping his hand from Johnny’s shoulder and taking a step back. Something peculiar burrows itself in his chest, worming its way into his heart… Jaehyun doesn’t like it.

“Are you sure?” He’s the one who can’t face Johnny now. Embarrassment makes his cheeks and ears burn. What the hell is wrong with him?

“I am. We’ve come all the way here, I might as well do it,” Johnny answers, voice a little firmer than before.

“Very well, then. Come closer,” Jaehyun beckons, going back to stand at his previous spot.

This time, Johnny follows him, albeit on slightly shaky legs. He takes a deep breath, still choosing not to look in the direction of the deer’s head. As he approaches the body, he can feel the stillness of it, the void where its soul should be even though he can’t explain how he’s able to do either.

Next to him, Jaehyun waits even more still than the trees surrounding them. It’s like he’s stopped breathing so as to not disturb the moment. As for Johnny, he takes a couple of deep breaths before he crouches down next to the deer. The air smells so foul to him, even though he knows it isn’t real. It’s cold enough out that the body still hasn’t started to decompose, but Johnny’s senses are heightened now so he picks up on things that others can’t. He wonders if Jaehyun can too and that’s the last thought Johnny has before he presses his palm against the deer’s flank.

🗲

Johnny wakes up a few hours later inside Jaehyun’s cabin.

There’s a nice fire crackling in the small fireplace on the opposite wall to the couch Johnny’s lying on with a blanket carefully laid on top of him.

“You’re up,” Jaehyun’s voice comes from somewhere behind Johnny.

“What happened?” Johnny sits up a bit. This feels strangely familiar to when he blacked out after their second encounter in Jaehyun’s office, minus the splitting headache.

“You fainted,” Jaehyun replies, appearing in front of Johnny and handing him a glass of what Johnny can only guess is alcohol. 

“Shit, really?” Johnny sniffs the content of the glass confirming his assumption.

“It’s coffee and some Bourbon," Jaehyun informs. He sits on an armchair nearby, sending a concerned look in Johnny's direction. "How do you feel?"

"Fine. Just a bit disoriented." Johnny takes a sip of his drink. It burns pleasantly as it goes down so he goes for a second sip right away.

"I'm glad," Jaehyun smiles softly. Johnny doesn't think he's seen the man smile before, or he hasn't been paying enough attention (although he doubts that), but he can't help noticing the dimples that form on Jaehyun's cheek when he does.

It suddenly comes back to Johnny what they were doing outside. The image of the dead deer, the way its soft fur felt against Johnny's skin as he touched it….

"Did it- Did I…," he stumbles on his own words, too scared to finish the question. What if he's failed? Somehow, the thought pains him.

Jaehyun doesn't answer him right away and Johnny resists the urge of getting up and shaking the truth out of Jaehyun. He tries his best to be patient, watching as a dozen emotions cross Jaehyun's face until it settles on a deep frown. His lips move but nothing comes out.

"Yes, you did. It was quite impressive, really."

In the end, Jaehyun isn't the one who answers. Another voice, deeper and with a thick accent brings Johnny's attention. He turns around to see a tall, good-looking boy standing by the door. 

Johnny looks from the newcomer to Jaehyun, confused. Who's this? He silently asks Jaehyun with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Johnny, this is Lucas. My friend," Jaehyun says, eyes just briefly meeting Johnny's before settling on the boy. Lucas. 

"Hi. What's up?" Johnny says shyly with a nod of his head.

Lucas scoffs as he walks up to where Jaehyun's sat, perching himself on one of the chair's arms.

"I can't believe you're such a powerful god. You don't look like it," Lucas says, disdain obvious in his voice.

" _Lucas,"_ Jaehyun says pointedly, touching Lucas's hand with his.

Johnny's eyes linger a bit too long on the men's hands before he snaps out of it, eyeing his own glass still in his hand.

"I'm just messing with him," Lucas rolls his eyes, letting out a chuckle. "I meant it, though. It was impressive what you did. Creatures like us can easily take lives, but to restore life? That's on another level."

"So it worked," Johnny muses quietly to himself. 

"Yes, Johnny. It worked perfectly up until you fainted," Jaehyun says.

"A small price to pay, though it sort of sucks that you couldn't see it come back to life," Lucas says.

Johnny's barely paying attention to what the other two are saying, though. Still trying to process everything that happened. It's been barely two weeks since Johnny's been in this town and so much has happened, so much has changed. It's still hard for him to wrap his head around everything.

And today, he has not only put his powers to the test but he succeeded in doing something he would've never believed was possible before.

It’s too much to deal with, too overwhelming.

“I gotta go,” Johnny says, getting up abruptly. He hands the glass to Jaehyun who takes it without a word with a look of surprise on his face. Lucas merely watches Johnny, curious and intrigued.

“Where are you going?” Jaehyun asks, getting up as well.

“I don’t know. Home. I need to get away from all this craziness,” Johnny says, walking around aimlessly around the cabin trying to find his things - his hoodie, his keys, his phone.

“Johnny, please, can you calm down? I’ll drive you back to town.”

“It’s fine, I can run back,” Johnny says, not even registering the absurdity of what he just said. He grabs his things that were on the table, stuffs his key and phone in his pocket and slips his hoodie on.

“Yeah, you probably can, but you don’t have to. Let’s go, I’ll take you. Come on, Lucas,” Jaehyun says, fetching his own keys from the table and snapping his fingers in the general direction of Lucas.

“Ok, whatever,” Johnny sighs, too exhausted to care.

“I knew he’d go berserk sooner or later,” Johnny hears Lucas whisper to Jaehyun, but doesn’t have it in him to say anything. He just wants to be alone with his thoughts for a while, and maybe a little later on a bus back home. He suddenly really misses Donghyuck and his mom.

The three of them file into the car without saying anything and the drive back is even quieter. In the back seat, Lucas seems to take a nap as Johnny stares out of the window trying to keep himself from freaking out. He doesn’t need Jaehyun to know just how vulnerable he is, how badly he’s handling it all. Not that Johnny’s ever felt the need to appear stronger than he is, but Jaehyun’s a stranger. He’s someone Johnny wants to trust, but when he remembers everything Jaehyun showed him, the circumstances under which they met and all that Johnny’s been through recently, his guard goes up again.

Johnny hates this barrier, this wall he feels exists between the two of them, especially because Jaehyun’s the only person who can effectively help Johnny. But right now, Johnny can’t deal with it. He needs safety and clarity and he doesn’t think he can get that from being around Jaehyun.

By the time Jaehyun parks in front of Johnny’s building, Johnny’s dozed off, forehead pressed against the car window. Jaehyun gently shakes him awake, a hand on Johnny’s shoulder, calling Johnny by his name.

“We’re here, Johnny.”

Johnny sits up straight and rubs his eyes quickly with the back of a hand before unfastening his seatbelt.

“Thanks for the ride,” he says, glancing at Jaehyun for a brief moment as he opens the car door.

“I’m sorry, Johnny,” is what Jaehyun says before Johnny slams the passenger door shut and quickly walks away.

Even already meters away Johnny’s ears still pick up Jaehyun’s tired sigh and Lucas calling him an asshole under his breath before the car rounds the corner.

**Author's Note:**

> ~find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/kunsorbit)  
> as well


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